Dictionaries :: Goodman

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Goodman:

good'-man ('ish; oikodespotes): The word occurs once in the Old Testament and is a translation of the ordinary word for "man," ?ish (Pr 7:19). "The goodman is not at home," so the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), but the American Standard Revised Version, more correctly, "The man is not at home"; i.e. the husband is not at home; the Geneva and Douay versions have "My husband is not at home": so Wycliffe; while the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has "There is not a man in her house." In the New Testament "goodman" is a translation of oikodespotes. This word occurs 12 times in the Synoptists, and nowhere else. the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) have 3 translations of the word, the American Standard Revised Version 2. In 4 places the King James Version has "goodman" while the American Standard Revised Version has "householder" or "?master of the house" (Mt 20:11; 24:43; Lu 12:39; 22:11). In all the other places, it is translated "householder" or "master of the house." the Revised Version (British and American) retains "goodman" in Mr 14:14 and Lu 22:11. The word liteerally means "master of the house," or "husband." The adjective is a mark of respect, and is used somewhat as our word "Mr.," an appellative of respect or civility. Relationship by marriage was distinguished by this epithet, as "good-father," "good-sister," both in England and Scotland. Later the adjective lost its distinguishing force and was swallowed up in the word.

Written by James Josiah Reeve

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Goodman:

denotes "the master of a house" (oikos, "a house," despotes, "a master"), "a householder." It occurs only in the Synoptists and there 12 times. It is rendered "goodman" in Luk 22:11, where "of the house" is put separately; in Mat 20:11, where the AV has "the goodman of the house" for the one word, the RV renders it by "house-holder," as in Mat 20:1; in Mat 24:43, "master;" so in Luk 12:39; in Mar 14:14, both have "the goodman of the house."
See HOUSEHOLDER, MASTER.